Your 12 diet days of Christmas

It's hardly surprising the average woman puts on a whopping five pounds over the festive season, according to the British Dietetic Association. But with more parties to come, don't resign yourself to looking like a Christmas pudding on New Years' Eve, take some hints from our great diet

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me... 

A partridge in a pear tree.. 

Over-indulging at Christmas leaves many of us more pear-shaped than wed like. Squats really give results, says Joanna Percival, who specialises in womens fitness. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and your arms by your sides.Slowly stick your bottom out and gently bend your knees to no lower than 90degrees. Raise your arms in front to. help you balance and squeeze your glutes as you come back up to standing.  

2 Turtle doves.. 

A close relative of the dove is the turkey and you usually end up with plenty of leftovers from your Christmas roast. The good news is that without the skin,turkey is one of lowest-fat sources of protein around there are about 186calories in a 120g serving. 

But leave the sauce and gravy out this time. Instead stick a thin slice on top of a slice of wholemeal bread and smear with mustard for a healthy 250-calorie open sandwich. 

3 French hens.. 

Liketurkey, chicken is a great source of protein and will leave you feeling fuller for longer. 

Achicken drumstick contains about 230 calories and you can save another 50 calories by removing the skin. 

But say no to chicken nuggets, which are packed with around 26.5 grams fat pernine-piece serving, and often contain very little meat. Fried chicken should also be off the menu as it has double the fat of baked chicken. 

Instead keep chicken lean and grilled, add diced chicken to salads to make them more satisfying and keep a pot of low-calorie chicken broth bubbling on the stove to keep you full.  

4 Calling birds.. 

AfterChristmas, youre bound to be catching up with old friends on the phone. Butrather than slumping on the sofa while you chat, you could be burning as many as 50 calories during a 10-minute call, says Joanna. 

Even if its just walking around, keep moving. Knee raises are also good for thephone. Just bend and lift the knee in front of the body try 20 before swapping legs. 

To work the hamstrings and lift saggy bums, bend your leg backwards then kick your heel towards the centre of each buttock for 20 before swapping legs.  

5 Gold rings.. 

Weighted hoops are a great craze fitness craze. They not only burn off up to 80 calories in 10 minutes, they also help define your tummy and strengthen your back. 

At home all you need is a little space, says Joanna. Then its just a question of swinging your hips to keep the circle spinning. It will require a little patience at first but it definitely pays off.  

6 Geese-a-laying.. 

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Goose eggs may be hard to come by but there is no doubt that protein-packed chickens eggs for breakfast will keep your blood sugar levels even, kickstart your metabolism in the morning and help curb your appetite for the rest of the day. 

Try a low-fat omelette made with one whole egg, two egg whites and skimmed milk.Stir in some herbs and cook in a non-stick saucepan. It contains just 200calories and will keep you full for hours.  

7 Swans-a- swimming.. 

If you want to lose those extra pounds after Christmas, get swimming. An average-sized woman will burn up around420 calories an hour. Joanna says: Water is the best way to work the whole body without any strain on joints. In water, you are always working against resistance as the drag of the water helps work every muscle. Make it a resolution to join an aqua class and learn some moves to incorporate into your own workout. Another good investment for 2010 would be aqua gloves, she suggests. They give you webbed hands which help to tone up those bingo wings. 

8 Maids-a-milking.. 

Semi-skimmed milk contains 50 to 60% less fat than whole milk. So if you use 250ml a day, switching from whole to semi-skimmed milk will save yourself around 79 calories and 9.5g fat a day without you even noticing it. 

Yoghurt made with skimmed milk also contains just a quarter of the calories of full-fat versions and can be used instead of cream in some sauces on leftovers.  

9 Drummers drumming.. 

If drummings not for you, then here are some other ideas to get rid of flabby arms. 

Joanna says: If you want to tackle bingo wings, try some sofa dips at home. Hold the side of your sofa, walk your legs away and push your body weight up and down by bending and straightening your arms. Just dont lock out your elbows or force the arms straight. 

Try two sets of 10 every day and you should soon see the backs of your arms tightening up.  

10 Pipers piping.. 

Dont eat all your food piping hot but try to introduce more uncooked foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains into your diet. Among the celebrities reported to follow a raw food diet are Demi Moore and Uma Thurman and eating more raw food is known to boost your intake of fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Experts also say that raw foods are digested quicker, meaning that partially-digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates dont get a chance to clog up your digestive system and arteries.  

11 Ladies dancing.. 

The TV show Strictly Come Dancing has made ballroom more popular than ever.Practising will not only give you some great moves for New Years Eve but its a fast and fun way to lose weight at the same time. Slower dances like the waltz and foxtrot burn off around 320 calories an hour, while more energetic routines like disco and the samba can burn off nearly 500 calories. 

12 Lords-a-leaping.. 

You may not have had a go since school, but skipping with a rope is one of the fastest calorie-burning exercises you can do. It works all the major muscles in your arms, shoulders and legs and it burns calories at a rate of five every minute. Its intense, says Joanna, so do it safely for the sake of your joints and back. Keep jumps small and land on soft knees. Stick to it and you will have lost the extra bulge by the New Year.  

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Christmas cheer without the wine waist: Keep your diet on track with our booze tips

Many of us tend to drink a little more at Christmas but you can get away with it and keep your diet on track by following these diet-friendly booze tips...

Lose weight and still enjoy party season drinks with our Little Black Dress Diet at MirrorDiets.com

Choose wisely

Good (less than 100 calories) choices are a shot (25ml) of gin with diet tonic, a shot of Bacardi with Diet Coke, one small glass of champagne or wine, one bottle of half-sugar Bacardi Breezer or a single measure of whisky or brandy. Keep away from Irish cream liqueur (175 calories per 50ml glass), full sugar alcopops (200 calories per bottle) and vintage cider (573 cals per pint).

Pace yourself

Alternate alcoholic drinks with mineral water or diet soft drinks. Make a glass of wine last longer by turning it into a spritzer - add sparkling water or lemonade. As well as reducing your chance of getting too tipsy, you'll consume far fewer calories.

Be prepared

Avoid alcohol induced binges and cut down on calorie intake overall by being prepared.

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Fortify yourself with a healthy breakfast and lunch based on starchy carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes or cereal), plus a little protein (lean meat or fish). If you won't be eating while you drink, have a light pre-drink meal that contains some fat to "line" the stomach and slow down the rate at which alcohol gets into your bloodstream. A chicken and avocado sandwich or bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk is ideal.

Steer clear

A handful of peanuts has around 150 calories and a bag of crisps 183 calories. If you're eating a meal at some point in the evening, avoid these snacks altogether, and don't start drinking until your starter arrives. If nibbles are all you are having, stick to pretzels, bread and breadsticks.

One at a time

Don't let anybody top up your glass. Finish one whole glass of wine before you start another and this way you'll be able to stay much more on top of what you're drinking.

Morning after

A morning fry-up may beckon if you've overdone it but a much lighter option that satisfies just as well is a couple of poached eggs on grainy toast. This gives a sustaining combination of slow-releasing carbohydrate and protein. Eggs also provide cysteine, which is said to help break down the destructive chemicals that build up in the liver when you've drunk alcohol.

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Christmas advice from the Scottish Chiropractic Association

"Christmas is meant to make us feel good, but it increasingly does the opposite. We need to look at the festive season as a time when we can improve on our health and well-being, and that of our family. That means taking positive steps to look after your spine by exercising in fun ways with the whole family instead of sitting still for hours on end" says Dr Ross McDonald, President of the Scottish Chiropractic Association.

One in five people get stressed over the Christmas period and suffer ill-health and relationship strain as a result. It is no coincidence that there is a significant rise in demand for a range of therapeutic services, including chiropractic care, early in the New Year. Back and neck problems occur over the festive season because people push all of their boundaries with a range of intensive behaviours from compulsive playing of new computer games to sitting for many hours at a time.

The Scottish Chiropractic Association offers its top tips for having a happy Christmas:

Keep it Simple:

To avoid stress, headaches and neck or back pain, ensure that your expectations of Christmas are realistic. Resist the notion of perfection: there is no such thing as a perfect Christmas, despite what the "family around the fireside" adverts imply. Opt instead for a relaxed atmosphere in which everyone shares tasks and agrees that "good enough" is the yardstick.

Revisit Christmas Past:

As more and more people suffer from back problems, we need to proactively move away from our sedentary habits. Encourage the whole family to take Christmas walks (they might even enjoy it!). Give children and young people Christmas presents which will prompt everyone to be more active: skipping ropes, space hoppers, hula hoops, Frisbees, balls etc.

Shopping:

To avoid undue strain on your spine you should

• Warm up before you start with stretches

• Balance the weight of shopping bags evenly in each hand or use a shopping trolley - these are fashionable for all ages now!

• Have a break regularly and keep hydrated

• Use mail-order or home delivery services where possible

• Where sensible, flat, supportive shoes

• Do several small trips rather than one large over-loaded trip

Everything in Moderation:

Eating and drinking:

Drink plenty of water, avoid excessive eating or drinking as both of these impact negatively on your health and well-being. Nearly a third of Britons have injured themselves so badly while drunk that they have had to seek medical help.

Sitting:

Sitting glued to the television for prolonged periods may cause your spine to go into spasm. Move around and stretch regularly. Ensure your chair has good spinal support and that you are not slouching.

Gaming and Electronic Gadgets:

Officially Britain's most popular pastime now, a range of persistent back and neck problems has emerged from these screen-based activities. If sedentary, you should take regular breaks and move around. If using a Wii, warm-up exercises will help to avoid injury. Repetitive strain injury from text messaging, using Blackberries and iPod use are increasingly common. Ensure that teenagers do not spend prolonged periods at any of these activities - they need to exercise and move around too!

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How to make this your slimmest ever Christmas

The season of overindulgence is in full swing but fear not – follow our festive food plan and you won’t be mistaken for a Christmas pud come the 25th.

December is hell for dieters– all that gorgeous Christmas grub and you’re expected to show self-restraint? Life ain’t fair.

Not so, says nutritionist Linda Foster. “The run-up to the 25th – and the day itself – doesn’t have to mean a stark choice between complete denial or a pig out you’ll regret come January 1,” she explains.

“If you stick to a few simple rules and choose the right meals and treats, you can make the final 12 days before Christmas really count in your quest for a slimmer, trimmer you.”

To show you how, we’ve designed a diet plan that will ensure your slimmest Christmas ever – without spoiling your fun…

The festive food rules..

(1) Have a big – and we mean BIG – breakfast

Unless you start the day by refuelling and stabilising your blood sugar levels, you are leaving yourself open to all the sugar-packed festive treats that will come your way. A filling breakfast that contains some wholegrain carbs (granary bread or cereal) plus protein in the form of eggs or low-fat dairy will keep you full until lunchtime – stopping you from picking at Quality Street and mince pies all morning.

Have two courses, one of cereal and one egg-based to really load up – studies show that the bigger breakfast people eat, the fewer calories they consume during the rest of the day.

(2)Eat before EVERY social occasion

Heading to a party straight from the office? Unless you eat beforehand you won’t be able to resist wrecking your diet by helping yourself to every canape-loaded dish that comes

your way.

(3)Pass on the cocktails

Seasonal drinks may look like fun but eggnog, mulled wine and snowballs are all laden with fat and a whole load of calories.

Stick to a glass or two of white wine soda (not lemonade)

spritzers, or a simple Screwdriver (vodka and orange). And alternate each alcoholic drink with water to slash your booze calorie intake in half.

(4)Dodge the stodge

Aside from the main Christmas meal, family get-togethers over the holidays often mean fat-laden comfort food and puddings. Offer to cook or bring a dish yourself, so you can create a tasty but healthy meal and know exactly how much fat it contains. Or suggest a meal out and stick to healthy options, such as pasta or chicken with tomato-based sauces and grilled white meat or fish with veg.

(5)Plump for protein power

When your blood sugar is high you produce more of the hormone insulin, which encourages you to store fat.

Eating more protein helps stabilise your blood sugar levels, reducing fat storage and also keeping food cravings at bay. Good sources include fish, lean meat, nuts, low-fat dairy and eggs.

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FIGHT YOUR FESTIVE FOOD DEMONS

Here’s how to beat some of the common Christmas diet downfalls…

“I’m bound to gain weight at Christmas, so I might as well do it in style.”

If you convince yourself that you’re sure to pile on the pounds then it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. What you’re actually doing is letting yourself off the hook and giving yourself the go-ahead to gorge without guilt.

Fight it: Don’t cave in – devise a plan of action and follow a couple of easy food rules to stop you overeating. For example, you could decide to allow yourself one treat a day, or to promise that whatever happens you’ll fit in a 20-minute brisk walk every day.

“It’s impossible not to overeat at parties”

Whether out of politeness, habit or too much wine you fill your plate again, again and again – then wake

up feeling bloated and guilty the next day.

Fight it: Don’t turn up starving. Eat before you get there – have something light and healthy but filling, like poached egg on toast, before you go and you’ll find it much easier to exercise self-control.

Once there, you only need one rule regarding the buffet spread: only fill your plate once.

“It’s Christmas, which means chocolates and a cheese board every day until every leftover is finished.”

Christmas Day is one thing but letting that indulgent food pattern seep into the rest of the holidays is just asking to pile on weight.

Fight it: Give away all but a small box of chocs and send guests home with doggie bags containing cheese and cake, so you won’t be tempted every time you open the fridge.

“I can’t say no to Auntie Jane’s food – it’s rude”

You eat everything you’re given over the holidays – including seconds – and can’t wriggle your oversized hips into your jeans come January.

Fight it: Don’t be afraid to say “no thanks”. If you’re polite, the hostess won’t take offence. It’s fine to say: “That was absolutely delicious but

I’m full.”

“My diet starts in January, so I should make the most of Christmas”

Knowing there’s a restrictive eating plan on the horizon encourages you to binge, as feast-or-famine mode takes over.

Fight it: Aim to eat generally healthily but with a few treats over Christmas, so you get most of the fun without the weight gain, and your life will be so much easier come the New Year. Because let’s face it, January is a tough month...

TRAFFIC LIGHT PARTY TRICKS

Green light: Go right ahead

? Vegetable sticks and dips are a good option, so long as you choose salsa, yoghurt or humous dips

? Chicken bites are also a good choice as the protein hit will keep you fuller for longer

Amber light: Eat with caution

? Mini sandwiches can be a healthy choice but avoid fillings with mayonnaise and try to stick to wholemeal bread

? Keep crisps and nuts to a minimum, as you need a lot to feel satisfied and the salt will make you drink more

Red light: Stop now!

? Avoid high-fat finger foods like cheese sticks, cocktail sausages or mini-pork pies

? Watch anything with pastry, which is usually 50% fat

? Skip fatty dips. Just one tablespoon of sour cream has around 172 calories and 18g of fat

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CRAFTY CHRISTMAS CALORIE BURNERS

Let’s face it, there’s no point pretending we’re going to the gym in the next two weeks. However, that doesn’t mean the holiday period can’t include plenty of equally effective ways to burn off that turkey dinner…

? Shop off the pounds: A two-hour dash around the high street for those last-minute Christmas pressies burns 500 calories.

? Dance yourself slim: An hour boogeying burns 400 calories.

? Cook it off: A morning preparing Christmas dinner burns 400 calories.

? Be a lean cleaning machine: Clearing the table and washing-up burns 150 calories a time.

? Walk the weight away: A brisk hour-long walk burns 300 calories.

Lose weight and feel great by dropping a dress size in six weeks with our Mirror Diets club

Your Christmas fortnight menu

Stick to the following meals over the festive period and you can allow yourself to really indulge on Christmas Day – without sabotaging your diet and piling on weight…

Better breakfasts

? Smoked salmon and scrambled egg on granary toast

? Cinnamon porridge with winter berries and chopped nuts

? Omelette with leftover goat’s cheese

? Kippers (or sardines) on toast

? Eggs Benedict made with one tbsp low-fat hollandaise sauce and a granary muffin

Lighter lunches

? Turkey and veg soup with a granary roll

? Cold meats with fresh green salad

? Ham and boiled egg salad

? Wholemeal French stick filled with brie and grapes

? Poached egg on toast with beans and one rasher of grilled bacon

Dinners

? Turkey curry with tomato-based sauce and basmati brown rice

? Lean ham slices with rice salad and pickles

? Turkey slices with bubble and squeak, made from mashed potatoes and cooked cabbage and sprouts.

? Baked salmon fillet with oven-roasted mixed veg

? Small steak grilled, with fat removed, served with new potatoes and green veg

Snacks

? Satsuma

? Handful of walnuts

? Unsalted peanuts

? Oatcakes with low-fat cream cheese

? 3 dates

? Warm apple juice with cinnamon

WHAT BOOZE TO CHOOSE..

Ditch the.. Mulled wine 245 calories per glass

Drink a.. 250ml glass of dry white wine 140 calories

You save: 105 calories

Ditch the.. WKD Blue 223 calories in a 275ml bottle

Drink a.. Slimline vodka and tonic 54 calories

You save: 169 calories

Ditch the.. Pint of cider 210 calories

Drink a.. Pint of pale lager 140 calories

You save: 70 calories

Ditch the..  Baileys 155 calories

Drink a.. Brandy 50 calories

You save: 105 calories

Ditch the.. Pina colada 275 calories

Drink a..Cosmopolitan 100 calories

You save: 175 calories

Lose weight and feel great by dropping a dress size in six weeks with our Mirror Diets club

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